Twisted Fate
by Talesoftwofairies
Summary: An AU based on the Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. Juvia finds out a secret Gray didn't even know about himself, Natsu's world is falling apart, and magic is blurring together with reality.
1. Chapter 1

Every bone, muscle, cell in Juvia's body froze over. She stood helplessly as she felt every hope in her heart shatter and dissolve into the whipping wind. This wasn't real, it couldn't be. She tried to suck in air into her lungs but they weren't cooperating with her. She racked her brain for all the conversations she had had with him. All those tiny insignificant details she had discarded flashed back. How he couldn't remember current events or new places. How he would disappear suddenly or appear out of nowhere. She and everyone else had chalked it down to him being quiet. Like a whisper blown away in the wind, gone before anyone knew it was there.

She wanted to run from the truth, go back to being ignorant. If only she could ignore it. But all the clues had been there. Her and Gajeel had discovered it to be true. There was no running away now.

"Juvia?"

How could she face him? Did he even know?

Slowly, against every fibre of being that didn't want to see him, she turned to him.

He stood several feet away looking utterly helpless at the sight of her tears.

"Juvia what's wrong?" He kept glancing at the structure behind her warily as if it was warding him away.

Before she could stop herself, she flung herself into his arms. He was cold, oh so cold. Had he always been this cold? She couldn't remember now, she could only remember his warm smile.

He felt so strong. He felt so present. She could feel his muscles move as he wrapped his arms around her. She wanted to scream. It wasn't fair, it shouldn't be possible. Why would fate or God do this to them? How was this just?

Juvia's knees gave way crashing her and Gray into the soggy ground.

He clutched her shoulders and forced her to look at him. "Juvia you're scaring me."

But Juvia couldn't answer. Her throat was burning. She was burning. She was freezing. She was an inferno and a blizzard combined into one horrendous storm. She felt ripped apart and shredded and pulled in a million different directions. She felt betrayed and lied too. She felt everything.

She couldn't _breathe._

Gray looked at what stood behind her. Mutely, he stood, walked closer, and stopped in front of it. Transfixed, he rubbed his hand along the engravings, felt the grooves of the stone and the letters that formed beneath his fingertips.

It wasn't real.

_It wasn__'__t real._

He was right here! He was could feel the wind and pressure of his clothes.

He was alive!

But he couldn't remember. Why couldn't he remember?!

He grabbed his hair and pulled and pulled but the memories wouldn't form.

He couldn't remember how he got here, he couldn't remember his mother's name, he couldn't remember his childhood teacher's name.

He felt himself trembling but he couldn't stop and couldn't look away from the stone.

His heart break and confusion built and ripped through him, escaping him with a scream. The sound reverberated through the air, bouncing of the collection of stone structures lined in neat rows.

He whipped around to Juvia who looked into his wild and frantic eyes with her tear filled ones.

A drop of water splattered on his hand and he looked up into the gray lifeless sky. Rain started pouring down soaking them both.

He could feel it, he could feel the rain.

But with a start he realized he couldn't feel the cold. He didn't feel wet.

He collapsed to his knees in front of Juvia.

Tenderly, she wrapped her arms around him.

He burrowed his head into her shoulder. Juvia could feel him shaking.

"I thought I was… I can't remember how." He whispered.

She wove her fingers through his hair. _He feels__ so real._

She fought to contain her sobs but she couldn't, they were too strong. "I know." She cried.

He pulled back and looked into her eyes, seeing all the emotions they held. He bit his lip.

"I'm scared Juvia. I'm really am. I don't know what's happening. How.. why am I here?!"

"I don't know." She sobbed.

Gray pushed her against him fiercely and buried his face in her neck.

They sat there, in their own bubble of eternity, as time froze around them. But it was no where near infinite enough.

Suddenly, Gray jerked back.

"Gray-sama?!"

Her voice echoed through him but he couldn't hold on to it. He was slipping away.

"Juvia" his wavered.

Juvia caressed his cheek. She couldn't find the right words. Her throat still burned but she had to say more, she has so much to tell him. She snapped her eyes closed. They were suppose to have more! They were suppose to have a life filled with love and warmth and laughter. A life filled with their friends and memories to look back on in their old age. A life filled with each other.

She had to pour all the what ifs and all their plans into this moment. She couldn't bare it if he never knew.

Forcing her voice to cooperate she whispered, "You will always be mine, Gray-sama. I will always love you."

Gray stared into her eyes. He could feel a pull in his gut. He was starting to feel lighter.

He shook his head violently, snapping his consciousness into the present. He wasn't going to let God or fate take this from him.

_Was he ever going to see her again? _

White hot pain shot through his heart at that thought.

Without a second thought he pulled Juvia to him and kissed her. He kissed her for all the moments he never had the courage to and he kissed her for all moments they were never going to have.

"I love you, Juvia." He whispered, but by the time Juvia opened her eyes the wind had carried his words away.

Juvia sat in the rain for what felt like years. She waited and waited as silent tears rolled off her checks and melted in the soil with the rain.

A seed of agony was planted her heart and she could feel as it spread its roots and took hold of her entire being. It burned her and grew and grew until she couldn't take it anymore. She screamed and wailed at the sky and let out all the fury she could muster, but it was an endless abyss. It was weed, no matter how many times she yanked it from the ground it would grow back untouched.

She would never be free of her love for him. She would always have the burden and the joy of her love for him and his love for her.

Accepting her fate with tears still clouding her vision, she stood on unstable legs, and walked away from Gray Fullbuster's grave.


	2. Chapter 2

Natsu needed to drive.

The walls around him were shrinking and the incessant electric hum of the florescent light was driving him mad. Its bright over-head lights were blinding him and distorting the room making it less real.

His fists were clenched white by his side and his jaw hurt from gritting his teeth so hard. But he couldn't release his tension or else he'd fall apart.

He stalked out into the humid Fiore night, quietly sneaking around Gajeel's room, and hopped in his mustang.

Before he could think better of himself he called the one person he definitely shouldn't be calling, but was the only person who could possibly calm him down.

She answered in one ring. "Hey", not a trace of sleep in her voice, despite it being 2:34 in the morning.

He shut his eyes, instantly relaxing at her voice.

"Hey…you wanna go for a drive?"

"I thought you would never ask."

—-

He couldn't stop replaying the events of today in his head. He and Lucy had been researching possible connections between King Igneel and the Lumen Historia, the woods on the outskirts of Magnolia. Natsu had been searching years for clues on the whereabouts of the lost ancient king. He had to find him. It was an obsession born from a fateful night. He never talked about it, his friends had just assumed it was quark of his, though they did question it from time to time. But he never told anyone. That night was seared in his mind and the recent development about Gray brought that night back to the forefront of his mind.

A red light glowed faintly and he came to a stop. He looked down and found his hand shaking.

Natsu knew what it felt like to die. To feel your heart stutter, struggling to beat, as your breathing becomes frantic, clawing at the air for a breath.

_Gray._

The light turned green and Natsu floored the gas. The days events rushed back at him.

—-

Gajeel stormed in, eyes blazing, slamming the door behind him. "Oi Fullbuster!" He stalked around the room. "Where is he? FULLBUSTER!" Natsu had froze. Anger was rolling off Gajeel as he inspected every room. Something was off about him. Everything about his body language and the wavering of his voice was very wrong.

"What's going on?" Lucy asked nervously.

Gajeel growled and whipped toward Natsu. "Did you know?! You've known him the longest!"

Natsu simply shook his head. "What are you talking about? What happened with Gray?" He had asked in confusion.

Gajeel didn't answer and instead found a seat and put his head in his hands. "Shit man, I can't-" He ran his hand through his hair before getting back up and pacing around in front of them.

"Gajeel. What's happening?" Lucy asked shakily.

Gajeel turned back to them with heavy eyes. He looked utterly helpless. "Me and Juvia we went into the woods-"

"Without us?!" Lucy screeched.

"Juvia, she had this feeling- like the woods were talking to her. Something wasn't adding up about how the leyline was turned back on." He stopped and closed his eyes to gather his thoughts. "So we went in for clues, ya know? But we found this instead." Gajeel dug in his pocket tossed the object to Natsu.

It was a wallet, old and water logged. He looked up to Gajeel, confused.

Gajeel shook his head. "Open it."

Natsu obliged as Lucy leaned over his shoulder to look. In the clear folds of the wallet was a license from the 80's. It was the picture which made his blood run cold.

It was Gray, looking exactly the same as he did when Natsu saw him yesterday.

He looked completely the same with black shaggy hair and his signature smirk on his face, which was impossible since the picture was dated over 25 years ago.

Natsu had shaken his head, "I don't understand."

"We found where the ley line woke. There were old note book pages scattered everywhere. This place it had a horrible feel. It was all wrong." Gajeel's eyes spaced out for second before focusing on Natsu's. "That's when we found the blood stains. We already knew waking the ley line required a sacrifice…."

Natsu's skin crawled.

"We found the ID on the body."

—

Natsu punched his steering wheel and glared out into the night.

He finally arrived at Lucy's and waited for her to sneak out.

How had this happened? His quest of finding the ancient fire King Igneel had lead him to this small middle of nowhere countryside, yet somehow this nowhere town was holding secrets that could change the world. The ancient stories had mentioned magic, the myth was that whoever wakes up the king will be granted one wish, but he had never actually seen magic though he did believe the in the whispered voice that had saved him that one night which started it all.

It wasn't until his little gang had wandered in the Lumen Historia woods, that he saw just how wondrous and of secrets the world contained. Time and space bent and shifted on itself. It was a place where the lines between the unimaginable and the real blurred together, where the soil thrummed with magic. They had watched flowers blossom and wilt within a span of minutes. They marveled at the floating rocks and the sky which twinkled with stars during the day. But what was the most mystifying of all were the trees. The whispered words in Latin, beckoning them and calling them by name. The woods mysteries still baffled them but they did know the forest was powered by magic lines called leylines. Leylines which Natsu believed would lead them to the king. They also knew a woman named Ultear had awakened it, many years ago but they just didn't know how. Until now. Until Gray.

_God,_ now Juvia was conversing with trees, Gajeel could remove objects from his dreams, Lucy was cursed, and now Gray was- Gray had always been-.

They tried searching for Gray after Gajeel had stormed in but he wasn't anywhere to be found. Gajeel eventually left to retrieve Juvia. That was hours ago and the disbelief still clung to Natsu.

Gray had been his friend for years, his best friend in fact. He didn't question Natsu's obsession with finding some ancient king. He had been there through all the dead ends and all the long nights and all the leads that eventually lead them to Fiore, Magnolia specifically. He had been there as the duo turned into trio with Gajeel's addition and when Lucy and Levy had unexpentantly joined them. He was the one who had introduced Juvia to the group. He had been there for everything. And now he is or had always been -.

He couldn't understand how he never noticed before, but the longer he thought about it, the more it made sense. The way Gray would never eat during lunch or would disappear suddenly with no explanation, how he seemed to know things he shouldn't, how cold he was. How no one could remember having class with him which is impossible due to how small their high school is. Natsu tried to remember but he couldn't pinpoint the memory of meeting Gray for the first time. All he knew was he had been alone one day then Gray was there the next.

Natsu squeezed the steering wheel and glared out into the night. Why had he been saved but not Gray?

The door of his car slammed shut and he jumped up back into the present.

He looked over at Lucy in the passenger's seat, who stared back at him. Bags hung under her eyes and her hair was a little disheveled, but she was still too damn beautiful.

"Let's get out of here." She said, her words ringing though silent night.

That was all he needed. He grabbed the gear shift and rammed it into drive while slamming on the gas.

Lucy rolled down the window, letting in the warm night air and relaxed into the seat, her hair billowing in the wind.

A silence descended upon the two, but they didn't need words. In fact there weren't really words for this. They just need the other's presence, a reminder they weren't alone.

The night was clear and bright, much too bright for how heavy and dark Natsu's heart felt. It felt as though the world was mocking him, juxtaposing the beauty of the night sky with the dreadful weight in his heart.

He re-focused himself on driving, feeling the power beneath his fingertips and the moment when the power would reach its maximum before he had to shift. 1…2…3…shift. Mechanical thoughts to keep his emotions at bay.

He drove out into the night, passed the city limits and up the nearby mountains until finally stopping at a ridge over looking the city.

Night hummed around them with the sound of chirping crickets and swaying grasses. He exited exited the car with Lucy following and together leaned against it, shoulders touching, and looked out over the town.

It glowed a dark yellow, contrasting the whimsical blue of the bright sky. There was barely any air pollution in this part of the county, and the result was magnificent. Thousands of heavenly bodies showered them in light, so beautiful it seemed other worldly.

How could a world this beautiful cause so much despair?

He looked over at her then, which proved to be a mistake. She was glowing in the moonlight and his heart ached in response.

He shouldn't have called her and she shouldn't have agreed.

His fists clenched again. It wasn't fair. This beautiful, amazing girl was in front of him and nothing could happen between them.

A new wave of sadness passed through him as a thought passed by. _Juvia_. If he couldn't truly accept Gray's fate, how was she ever going too?

Natsu shut his eyes. Juvia was never going to have the happy ending she deserved and Gray-.

Natsu's throat closed up.

Suddenly, he felt Lucy's finger's entwine with his and squeeze.

He looked up at her giving him a small sad smile.

"Lucy." He whispered, her name pulling him out of his despair just enough to keep him from drowning.

Suddenly, her eyes filled with tears and she looked away in shame.

"It's just not fair." She stated, shaking slightly.

And it wasn't.

Natsu didn't believe in coincidence, it far too coincidental. To him, life was planned and calculated. Everything happens for a purpose or reason, for the most part. Like how his Mustang just happened to break down in front of Gajeel's shop. Or how both of them just happened to walk into the one bookshop who had not one but two resident experts on ley lines.

He had always been able to connect the dots of fate much like the constellation glistening above them. But now he couldn't, and it frustrated him to the bone.

What was point of all this anyway? What was the point of Juvia meeting Gray, and falling in love when he could never be with her? What was the point of Lucy's curse? All these questions created a maelstrom in his head but he could only come up with one conclusion. That fate, destiny, God, whatever or whoever was controlling their lives was seriously twisted.

He looked over at Lucy, beautiful glowing Lucy, and wished on all the stars in the sky that in the end fate, or her curse or whatever wouldn't win.

Which is why, against his better judgment, he reached out and cupped her check.

"Natsu-" she warned.

He drew a ragged breath, heavy with sadness and longing. "I know, but can't we just pretend? I don't want fate to win right now."

In answer, she leaned into his touch and smiled shyly at him.

He suddenly became hyperaware of everything. Of how bright the stars were, of her pulse beneath his fingertips, of her honey and flower scent.

Slowly and purposefully, he drew her closer to him, desperate for her warmth, holding her waist while she encircled his neck. He put his cheek to hers, imagining how soft her lips must feel, restraining himself from his overwhelming desire to kiss her. Every fibre of his being yearned to kiss her. To pour his love, and comfort, and soul into just one kiss. But he couldn't, and he had grown painfully aware of that fact over all the time he spent with her.

He was on fire, he thought, as his fingertips traced her jawbone. And he was so royally screwed. He was falling, he had reached maximum velocity and there was no stopping his descent without a painful blow.

.

A stupid idea he knew she would never agree to, popped into his head.

"What if _I_ kiss _you_?" He whispered, trying to be playful, but his emotion crept in. Her warm breathe caressed his cheek as he felt her stiffen. He continued. "Your curse says if _you_ kiss your true love but it doesn't say anything about him kissing you." He tried to smile, but this was all too real and the weight of the situation kept his smile in check.

"If I kiss my true love they will die. There isn't much of a loophole," She said, trying to match his playfulness before turning serious. "And you know I can't take that chance, Natsu."

A moment passed and he felt tears slide down their brushing checks. "Especially with you." He felt her stiffen at her escaped words, embarrassed by their release, but he already knew.

He pulled back and looked at her, his eyes soaking her in. Her blonde hair and brilliant eyes made her look like a star, and he thought she didn't belong on the cruel, cold ground.

Determination flooded his veins. "I'm going to break your curse. And when I do I'm gonna kiss the hell out of you."

Lucy reeled back in shock before a small graced her lips. Her eyes flooded with tears, but not with despair, with hope. "I'll be waiting for the day you do." She smiled.

Whatever was happening between them was true and beautiful, and fate had obviously brought them together for a reason. It was more than just to get the information she knew about leylines and magic. It was an instant connection, where the world had felt out of sync until the moment he meet her when the world finally shifted into a focus he didn't was possible. He didn't understand how he could have lived a normal life before meeting her.

There was magic in the world and it was the key to breaking Lucy's curse and maybe even brining Gray back.

This wasn't a dead end for them. They were going to beat fate.

And so he cradled her back to him, cheek to cheek, dreaming of the day where he would finally be able to kiss her senseless.


End file.
